Last but not least: Men are victims of advertising
In a press release, the Swiss Fair Trading Commission presents the complaints it received and had to review last March. Gender discrimination was a particularly contentious issue—especially when it was directed against men.
False or misleading price information is often the subject of complaints, the press release announced on Wednesday. They are clearly unfair - and can even be prosecuted by the cantonal police authorities. A company cannot get out of the noose simply by correcting the false information in links, star notices or general terms and conditions.
Another perennial issue among advertising consumers is gender discrimination. However, the Fairness Commission did not approve a single one of these sexism complaints. It is striking that in two of the three complaints dealt with, the man is the alleged victim. A Nivea Christmas ad is accused of sexism because no father is involved in the idyllic Christmas scene. And a Nivea deodorant commercial received a complaint because it presents the woman as stress-resistant while the man slumps limply onto the sofa. Was this a blanket attack on emancipation? Or rather against Nivea in general? In any case, the accusations are very far-fetched.
Here are the discredited Nivea clips:
